For health professionals

Key points

  • Plaque psoriasis is a chronic, multisystem, inflammatory disease, with most patients presenting mild to moderate disease. Many of these cases can be successfully treated with topical agents.
  • Educating patients about what topical therapies are available to them, how they work and how to use them appropriately is crucial to optimise adherence.
  • Ensure patients are aware of the range of treatment options – both topical and systemic – that are available to them and that several options may need to be trialled before finding the treatment that works best for them.
  • Optimise use of systemic treatments, in combination with topical treatments, to achieve good health outcomes and improve patient quality of life.
  • Subcutaneous methotrexate is more effective and better tolerated than oral methotrexate. Consider subcutaneous methotrexate if there is an inadequate response or intolerance of oral methotrexate.

MedicineWise App

The MedicineWise app is a free health and medicines management app. Features have been developed to support people with plaque psoriasis, including a dose tracker to manage complex dosing or stepping up or stepping down of medicines.

TARGETED THERAPIES ALLIANCE

Helping consumers and health professionals make safe and wise therapeutic decisions about biological disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (bDMARDs) and other specialised medicines. Funded by the Australian Government Department of Health through the Value in Prescribing bDMARDs Program Grant.

The consortium also works closely with the key dermatology organisations, The Australasian College of Dermatologists and Psoriasis Australia.